Rail-joint.



R A I L J 0 I N T 7 APPLICATION, BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB OOOOOO L.

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

PERCY O. OSTEEN, OF HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH OAROIIINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO BROWN LOW JACKSON, J ESSEE S. RHODES, REUBIN H. STATON, CAROLINA.

AND SAMUEL D. STATON, OF I-IENDERSONVILLE, NORTH RAIL-JOINT.

sfEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,583, dated April 14, 1903.

Application filed March 5 To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, PERCY O. OSTEEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hendersonville, in the countyof Henderson and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the vfully described and claimed in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part'thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal'se'ction of two abutting rails and bridge-piece. Fig. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of. the abutting rails with 2 is a perspective of the bridge-piece.

the bridge-piece removed.-

Like numerals'of reference designate like parts in the difierent views of the drawings.

The numeral 1 designates a bridge-piece comprising a uniform bar 2-, bearing onits upper face two wedge-shaped lugs 3. The horizontal cross-section of each ofthe lugs 3 is triangular, and one side 4 is in alinement with the end of the bridge-piece, and one vertex 5 is located on the center line of the bar 2. The sides 5? of the lugs are perpendicular to the face of the bar 2.

In order to accommodate the bridge-piece 1, each of the two abutting rails 6 hasa recess formed in the bottom thereof, which is the impression of one-half'the bridge-piece and comprises a right-rectangularprisrnoidal portion 7 and a wedge-shaped. portion 8.

In coupling the rails 6 they are butted'to- 1903. Serial No. 146,302. (No model.)

getherand the bridge-piece 1 inserted from the bottom, after which the rails are lowered into place and rest on the cross-ties, which rebearing two lugs on one face, saidlngs being I triangular in horizontal cross-section, substantially as described.

2. A bridge-piece comprising auniform bar bearing two wedge-shaped lugs located on the same face and at opposite ends thereof, substantially as described. I

3. A bridge -piece comprising a uniform right ,prismoidal bar bearing two wedgeshaped lugs triangular) in horizontal crosssection, one side'of saidtriangle being located in alinement with the ends of said. bar and one vertex of said triangle being located on the center line of said bar, substantially as described.

4. Abridge-piece comprisingauniform bar bearing wedge-shapedulugs, in combination with two abutting rails having recesses in their under sides to accommodatesaid bridgepiece, substantially-asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset my hand in, presence of two subscribing witnesses. 1 s H PERCY O. OSTEEN.

Witnesses:

K. G. MORRIS, J. W. STATON. 

